Electric bond for rail joints



Dec. 12, 1939. E. A. EVERETT 2,182,798

ELECTRIC BOND FOR RAIL (-IOINTS Filed Dec. 51, 1935 wig OR BYW W ORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OF FICE signor to Matthew N. J.

H. Loughridge,

Bogota,

Application December 31, 1935, Serial No. 56,865

6 Claims' (01. 173-280) This invention relates to electric rail bonds for bonding the joints in the rails of a railway track to maintain the continuity of the track circuit. It has for an object to provide a bond that may a be attached to the ball of the rail or attached to the web of the rail. Another object of the invention is to provide a bond attached to the rail by a plug which is a driving fit in an eye forming the terminal of the bond and driving this plug into a hole in the rail. Another object of the invention is toprovide a terminal for attaching a bond or electric conductor to the rail by a plug provided with a slidable collar which engages the plug with a driving fit, and a plate with an aperture for the plug so that the plate is clamped against the rail by the collar as the plug is driven into the hole in the rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail bond for attaching to the rail by an eye and plug construction, and which can be located between the splice bar and the web of the rail.

Other objects of the invention will be more particularly understood from the following specifications and the accompanying drawing, in which:

5 Fig. l is an end elevation of a rail at a joint with a splice bar and with a bond applied to the ball of the rail.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one former terminal having an eye for an attaching plug and a plate 30 to which the conductor is secured.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show details of modified constructions of the terminals, partially sectioned and enlarged.

The present application relates to the same 35 general subject matter as that of my copending applications as follows: Serial No. 641,596, filed November 7, 1932, granted as Patent No.

2,074,379; Serial No. 665,737, filed April 12, 1933, granted as Patent No. 2,112,694.

Rail bonds are applied to the ball or head of the rail on the outside of the track and above the splice bars. shallow bottomed hole in the rail head near the end of the rail and the terminal is made as small 45 as possible so that it may not offer obstruction to dragging objects from a passing train and to the tools of workmen on the track. It is necessary not only to apply the bonds so that they will maintain a satisfactory electric contact with the 5,0 rail, but also that they will remain permanently in position and be capable of removal when it is necessary to replace them.

It has been found that a steel plug, tempered so that it has a comparatively soft nose, and with 55 this nose formed flat, when driven into a hole These bonds are applied by a having a conical end, expands slightly at the nose and forms a tight connection with the rail. By making the hole comparatively shallow so that its depth is less than its diameter, it is found in practice that the plug can easily be dislodged 5 from the hole by the use of a hammer on the side of the plug.

The conductor of the bond is secured to a terminal having an eye and the attaching plug fits this eye with a driving fit as produced in a manufacturing establishment. The end of the plug that enters the rail hole is a close fit in the hole such as will, in practice, enable it to be inserted in the hole so that it can be forced into position under great pressure by the use of a 15.

hammer, and thus expands it in the hole by this driving action, which is sometimes referred to as a driving fit. The rail hole itself is drilled on the ground and is not always uniform in size, but the plug is readily expanded to secure the driving 20 fit necessary. Cllt has been found in practice that when the fiat nosed plug is driven into the hole with a conical end, it does not have the same tendency to rebound when overdriven as a plug with a conical end to correspond with the hole.

It has been found that the cost of these bonds in manufacture can be reduced by the use of a collar applied to the plug with a driving fit and an attaching plate applied below the collar and clamped between the collar and the rail when the plug is in place. This attaching plate may be secured to the collar by welding or other means so that the plug and plate are integrally formed, or the plug with the collar may be formed as a separate device which is applied to the attaching plate when the plug is driven in the rail. The attaching plate has a projecting end formed in a clasp to which the conductor is attached and which may also support the reinforcing plates. These clasps may be used as a shield to protect the laminated conductor.

When this bond is applied to the ball of the rail, a hole is drilled in the side of the rail head, one size being one quarter inch deep by threeeights inch diameter, for the plug of the bond terminal. This plug is solid and when driven tightly into the hole fills the hole as completely as the rail was before drilling, except for the conical portion of the hole end. The rail head is supported at the joints by the splice bars which hold the abutting rails in Vertical alignment. Part of the load carried by the rail is transmitted through the rail head to the splice bar and is supported in compression by the plug substantially the same as the undrilled part of the rail.

In the drawing, H is the running rail, [2 is the splice bar of the joint, I3 is the aperture in the head of the rail in which the attaching plug 2| of the collar I5 is inserted and is expanded in the rail hole by driving on the exposed end 2| of the plug. The loop of the bond is deflected outwards as indicated at IE to clear the top I! of the splice bar l2. This construction also clears a splice bar of the form indicated by the dotted line I8.

The attachment of the conductor to the terminal will be understood from Figs. 2 to 5, showing the conductor end IQ looped at 24 below the clasp member 23 which is formed from the terminal plate 22 having the extension 2341 and the flanges 232) which engage the base of the tapered collar l5 which is slidably mounted on the plug 2| with a driving fit. A modified form. of the collar 15 is indicated in Fig. 4 in which the plate 26 is spun around the rounded base 25 of the collar l5. A further modification of this construction is shown in Fig. 5 in which the plate 2! is secured to the collar l5 by welding.

The plug 2! is provided with a soft, fiat nose and a hardened stem in the eye of the terminal. It is driven into the rail hole up to about line I40. which draws the terminal tightly against the rail, avoids a space at the entrance to the rail hole and securely binds the plug so that it is not upset or chafed at the entrance to the rail hole.

It will be observed from Figs. 3, 4 and 5 that the collar 15 has considerable depth compared with the plate 2'! so that it irictionally engages the plug 2| tightly, and maintains this tightness when in use. The plug is driven through the collar and through the registering hole in the plate into the rail hole to hold the terminal and the plate, which is secured to the conductor, tightly against the rail. The plate is thus se cured to the rail even if its connection to the collar should be fractured. The collar is tapered so that the exposed end, as indicated in Fig. 1, is reduced with the object of offering reduced obstruction to objects depending from passing trains. The collar is enlarged at the base where it engages the plate and where it should engage the plug tightly. The flange construction in Figs. 3 and 4 reinforces the base of the collar by the plate and protects it against flying objects.

The invention has been illustrated in a, variety of forms and different modifications which are intended to meet different conditions of service and the various elements of my invention may be applied as shown or they may be applied alternatively and with other types of construction which may be used in this art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a rail with a hole therein, a collar having an aperture, a connecting plate having an aperture of the same diameter as the aperture of the collar and registering with the aperture of the collar, means connecting a conductor to said plate and a plug of the same diameter as the apertures in the collar and plate passing through said apertures and into the rail hole with a driving fit for clamping the terminal to the rail.

2. In a combination, a rail with a hole therein, a tapered collar having an aperture, a connecting plate having an aperture registering with the aperture of the collar, means connecting the base of the collar to the plate, means connecting a conductor to a portion of said plate and a plug of the same diameter as the aperture in the collar passing through said aperture and into the hole in the rail with a driving fit for clamping the plate to the rail.

3. In combination, a rail with a hole therein, a tapered collar having an aperture, 3, connecting plate having an aperture registering with the aperture of the collar, means connecting a conductor to a portion of said plate, said plate having a flange to enclose the base of the collar and a plug passing through the aperture of the collar and into the rail hole with a driving fit for securing the plate to the rail.

4. In combination, a rail with a hole therein, a terminal with an eye having a plate with a projecting end connected to a conductor and located adjacent the rail, a collar with an aperture registering with the eye of the terminal located on top of the plate, and a plug of the same diameter as the aperture of the collar passing through said collar and eye of the terminal and into the rail hole with a driving fit.

5. In combination, a rail with a hole therein, a cup-shaped member having an eye and a projecting end to which a conductor is secured, a plug, a collar slidably engaging said plug and fitting the cup-shaped member, said plug attaching said conductor to the rail by insertion in the eye of the terminal and driving the projecting end of the plug into the hole in the rail.

6. In combination, a rail with a bottomed hole therein, a plate with a perforation, a conductor secured to said plate, said plate placed adjacent the rail, a collar substantially deeper than said plate and a plug passing through said collar with a tight fit and through the perforation in said plate into the bottomed hole in the rail with a driving fit to secure the plate to the rail.

EDWARD A. EVERETT. 

